Myself, I never liked that rah-rah stuff as a student. (And I think Eugene would probably complain about THAT if it was more prevalent here.)

Remember that with a truly diverse student body, it is somewhat natural to find less enthusiasm for American-y traditions like pep rallies and football. Why should a goth kid into reading novels and talking about movies feel obligated to scream his loyalty to his grade level in a packed gym? How a recent immigrant who lives and breathes for Guadalara FC, a futbol team, and doesn’t even know the rules of the American game?

Multiculturalism means letting people figure out what they want to embrace and what they want to keep from home. No need to assimilate everybody into an Archie Comic.

]]>By: Ms. Thttp://www.ibabuzz.com/education/2009/09/27/titan-pride/comment-page-1/#comment-22339
Ms. TFri, 09 Oct 2009 08:58:17 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/education/?p=6735#comment-22339As a former Titan (Class of 1996) and someone who has worked at Skyline over the past 3 years there is a definite lack of school spirit but not amongst the entire student body. When I was a student at Skyline we could not wait for rallies, football games and dances because that was the time that we let our Titan pride shine. I feel that Skyline has to get back to the little things that made us have pride in our school. Pom-poms, t-shirts, sun visors.. were all items that we were proud to wave at the games. I still have my Titan gear from way back when.

On another note, to invoke pride in students they need to feel that they have something to be proud about. They need a sense of direction. If all students felt that they were heading towards a future of success be it college, the workforce, etc. then they could have pride in a school that believed in them. You must encourage students to achieve at their highest potential and then they can begin to take pride in the system that is supporting them.

Just some thoughts from a Skyline Alum that moved on to college, returned to plant that seed of success in Skyline students and is now mastering my craft by pursuing my postbaccaulaureate degree with the hopes of returning once again to continue promoting that TITAN pride…. S-K..S-K-Y..S-K-Y-L-I-N-E.. Skyline… Titans!

]]>By: Skyline Teacherhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/education/2009/09/27/titan-pride/comment-page-1/#comment-22338
Skyline TeacherFri, 09 Oct 2009 00:56:25 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/education/?p=6735#comment-22338Haha, going too fast: “I APPRECIATE your point, but THERE are exceptions.”
]]>By: Skyline Teacherhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/education/2009/09/27/titan-pride/comment-page-1/#comment-22337
Skyline TeacherFri, 09 Oct 2009 00:55:47 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/education/?p=6735#comment-22337Caroline, I appreaciate your point, but their are exceptions. The charter school Oasis was enrolling basically ONLY these kinds of students, that was its mission, and the district yanked their charter because they said they weren’t paying enough attention to standards, etc.

A charter can be anything the founders and staff and community want it to be — or up to a certain point, apparently.

Oh, and Sara, I just had a sub tell me that TECH is the school he’ll never sub at again, whereas he wants to spend his days at Skyline — it’s called anecdotal, subjective experiences!

Listen, this little patriotic war at the end of this thread between Tech and Skyline aside, both schools suffer from a MASSIVE divide within the school, and it is not related to “mixing” racially/ethnically — it is academic. Go to the dances, you’ll see everybody partying harmoniously; it is in the unseen FUTURE the kids face which is truly stark and disturbing.

Both schools have their top-tier kids — 10%? 20%? — almost entirely middle class or immigrants from educated families, who smartly take advantage of your Paideia programs and your advanced theater and your AP Physics, then launch out into the world to the top colleges. These highly-motivated kids are overbooked with all the great opportunities of the big comprehensive high schools, even dominating sports — since sports demands you come to practice every day.
[If you came to preview night, as per Sharon's invite, these are the kids you saw.]

Both schools also have a group of rough and woefully undersupported and poorly educated kids, the vast majority of whom will not walk the stage — both schools lose about 40% of their freshmen before graduation day, either to the streets or continuation schools, etc. Some of these kids spend two years at the big school, floating along, cutting, failing every class, before they get DHP’d or pulled out by a parent, foster parent or parole officer. [If you saw a bunch of boys shoving past a security guard at the back to school rally, these were the kids you saw].

Perhaps most problematic are the kids in the middle, many of them shy and quiet, who are not behavior problems but never do homework, try to hide in class and are REALLY unprepared for college even though they are on track to graduate. I believe many of these kids are the ones who land in Laney or DVC with little idea of what to do next; they’re also the kids who we should be doing a lot more to reach, IMHO. [You don't see these kids.] In many classes, these kids are the vast majority at Skyline — not on the fast track to jail, per se, but it is unclear what they hell they want to be and how they can get there.

This pattern is not unique to Oakland. Berkeley High is the same, except the top tier is roughly twice as large.

Another way of looking at these groups would be attitude:

– One group can learn from anybody, even a textbook.
– One group can learn from almost nobody because it is so angry and hurt.
– One group is way behind and extremely passive, which makes strong curriculum and active teacher engagement necessary.

To be honest, it is these latter two groups for whom small and/or charter schools make more sense — they are falling through the cracks at an alarming rate at all big urban high schools in California.

Of course, these are all gross generalizations for the purpose of discussion.

]]>By: Karenhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/education/2009/09/27/titan-pride/comment-page-1/#comment-22333
KarenSat, 03 Oct 2009 07:03:00 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/education/?p=6735#comment-22333Friendly competition among our public high schools is a good thing. In addition to Performing Arts, my experience is that, as reputed, Skyline is strong in Math and Science. As I’ve said above, AP World History and Mandarin are top notch. I have heard that the AP offerings in all courses are good. Both Oakland Tech and Skyline have a lot of exciting things going on. I am not too familiar with Oakland High. I do know that the charter high schools are more generously funded. Skyline is funded at the lowest high school level in OUSD, Tech the second lowest. Recently Tech has had more buzz, and has been lucky to have the same principal for many years. Skyline is a bit of a sleeping giant. The dedicated teachers and the students are there, however, and they are wide awake.
]]>By: Gordon Danninghttp://www.ibabuzz.com/education/2009/09/27/titan-pride/comment-page-1/#comment-22332
Gordon DanningFri, 02 Oct 2009 15:01:20 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/education/?p=6735#comment-22332Oakland Mom: With all due respect to Skyline, the best academics in the district are almost certainly at Tech – the Engineering Academy and the Paedeia Program in particular. Paedeia in particular is a very challenging program. Just check out the ratings of the teachers in those program on http://www.ratemyteachers.com

You might also want to look at the Environmental Scinece Academy at Oakland High (where I teach).

You ask about the academics available at Skylin. I can only speak from the perspective of having kids who were willing to work and take the hard classes. My oldest is now a senior in college. He took 5 AP classes in both his junior and senior years. He received 5′s in 4 of his AP exams each year.

Regardless of what you may say about grades (grade inflation, etc…), his AP scores indicated there was real teaching going on in those classes. His SAT scores were extremely high. He got in to every California school he applied to (including academic schoarships to UCLA and Cal). He is completing his degree without debt because of a full scholarship (along with many of his Skyline classmates at other fine colleges). He was well prepared for a rigorous college program. The amount of work and learning ix exponential compared to my high school experience (suburban – everyone went to that school who lived in the district).

Colleges love Skyline students and it is for a good reason.

Re posting #13 – Sara, you have no idea of how many hours Sharon has spent there. As a long time parent there (and an OUSD employee), I would bet she has spent far more time than any sub. Your comment was uncalled for and mean-spirited.